1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved clip for securing one or more sheets of thin material. In particular, the subject apparatus comprises an endless filament configured as a two ended and generally symmetrical paper clip that has oppositely facing pincers. The clip may be fitted over a sheet of paper from either end of the clip with either face of the clip oriented toward the user and held in place by two torsion hinges that are continuous with each of the pincers.
2. Description of the Background Art
Historically, filament or wire type holding devices for securing a plurality of thin paper sheets or marking devices for identifying a particular sheet or sheets of paper have consisted of a piece of metal wire or plastic material formed into a desired shape for fitting over the edge or edges of the paper. The most traditional version of such a paper holder is a "flat coil clip" or "standard paper clip" that comprises a two ended strand of wire bent in an oblong coil to create a single pincer having a distal spring hinge region connecting a proximal small tip domain to a proximal large tip domain. One or more sheets of paper are held between the small and large tip domains by pressure exerted by and through the hinge region. Practically speaking, such a clip fits over the edge of a sheet of paper in only one orientation (i.e., between the pincer with the hinge region proximate the edge of the paper).
More specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 1,053,008 discloses a generally flattened paper clip consisting of a two ended piece of wire bent into a shape that produces, when fitted over a sheet of paper having two sides, two separate wire configurations on one side and one continuous wire configuration on the other side of the paper. The device is not symmetrical, but may be rotated 180.degree. about an axis perpendicular to the generally flattened plane of the device for fitting over a sheet of paper in two distinctly different orientations.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,170,052 relates to a continuous or endless filament paper clip. This clip is much like the two ended "standard paper clip" described above except that the filament is continuous or without ends.